The China Merchants Bank Headquarters in Shenzhen, designed by UK-headquartered architect Foster + Partners, has topped out.
Announced in 2019, the 350m-tall tower will contain 310,000 sq m of office space for the company’s 13,000 employees.
The tower’s simple, rectilinear north façade design is inspired by local rock formations with stacked bays varying in height.
The south-facing façade is inspired by the geometries of Chinese traditional paper folding, with triangulated bay windows offering views across Shenzhen Bay
The tower’s façade is made from glass and stainless steel, able to balance solar shading, daylight and thermal loads.
The mixed-use development contains retail and cultural spaces, offices, a hotel and conference centre. Workspaces connect to double-height atriums and landscaped terraces.
A central axis connects to the city’s public park and two new plazas.
Grant Brooker, Foster + Partners’ head of studio, said: “The new tower is a unique addition to Shenzhen’s urban fabric and will be an enduring symbol of China Merchants Bank. The building’s wide curved windows offer spectacular views of Shenzhen Bay. Cut to reflect the light, they glisten in the sun and reflect movement in the sky above them.
“We want to capture the warmth of sunrise and sunset on the building’s surface – so that the appearance of the tower is constantly changing and never appears the same way twice.”
